2 The Dante Connection by Estelle Ryan Page A

my communication must have made it clear that I would’ve accepted an invitation from my contact. So they made the invite to look like it was sent from him. Someone had wanted me to be there.”
    I allowed this new information to process for a few seconds. “How easy is it to hack someone’s system?”
    “Most systems are shockingly easy to get into,” she said. “Banks, law enforcement agencies and a few other institutions have better security. Breaching that is a challenge, especially to get in and out unnoticed. Your company installed a professional security solution, which is pretty much an internet security package. This is then regularly audited by a computer security company. On top of that, the firewall and packet filter made getting into your computer a bit of a challenge, but not much.”
    “When did you hack into my computer?” I asked. This was the better question of many begging for answers. The other questions would require knowledge that I did not have. The fact that she had gotten past the security that Phillip had once boasted of was interesting. Phillip would be livid. I was curious.
    “You’re not angry that I hacked your computer?” Francine blinked a few times when I lifted my shoulders in a universal sign of indifference. “Okay. Well then. I got into your computer months ago. Why do you ask?”
    “I think that someone hacked my computer yesterday. Things were different when I got to work today.”
    My calm announcement was met with an outburst. Vinnie jumped out of his seat, demanding to know who it was. Colin overrode any reply with a barrage of questions. I was almost amused by them attacking me with questions without waiting for any answers. Almost. Being boxed in by Francine on the one side, Colin on the other and Vinnie hovering over me was becoming too much.
    I had expected a reaction, but not one so overwhelming. It made me take notice. I saw the worried look Francine gave Colin and the slight headshake he gave her as a warning. I also noted Vinnie’s posture change from friend to bodyguard. This had to be connected to the secrecy between them that I had observed a few times. I wondered if it was related to the case and whether I needed to know why they were so concerned.

 
    Chapter SIX
     
     
     
    “I think we’ve all calmed down now,” Colin said, sipping his coffee. They had realised that their method of bombarding me was not getting them anywhere, so Colin had suggested a time-out. While Colin had gone to make coffee, Vinnie had explained the expression to me. I liked it.
    “Genevieve, why do you think your computer was hacked?” Francine asked.
    “I always log off any program or site before I switch off my computer. When I switched it on this morning, I was already logged into my email account. And two of the icons on my desktop had been moved.”
    “Have you told Phillip?” Colin asked.
    “No. I forgot about it when he and Manny came into my office. Then I lost myself in my work until you appeared. And I wasn’t a hundred percent sure.”
    “From the little you’ve told me, it is not conclusive that your computer was hacked,” Francine said. “But taken in the context of what has been happening, I’m convinced.”
    “What has been happening?” I thought back to our trip to the hospital. “Does this have to do with your uncle?”
    “I think you should tell the whole story now, Francine,” Colin said. “I, for one, would seriously like to know what’s going on.”
    “Yes, of course. My uncle’s house was broken into a couple of weeks ago,” she said.
    “Is he okay?” Colin asked.
    “He’s fine. Just supremely pissed off. Nobody wants to take responsibility for what he calls the royal fuck-up.”
    “How old is your uncle?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.
    “Eighty-three. He’s actually my great-uncle.” She rolled her eyes. “He thinks he’s still forty. My uncles tried for years to get him to move into a retirement village,